Tips on Accessorizing Your Home

When you think about interior design, you most likely think about furniture choices.  Choosing the right color furniture and the right size to fit your rooms as well as the right fabric and the correctly placing it so that it looks aesthetically pleasing.  In reality, interior design also includes a lot of other things like paint and, of course, accessories. There are many ways to complete a design with accessories and many types of accessories that you can use to do something like balance out a space, fill an empty space or bring a pop of color to a room.  What you might not think about is that accessories are also a cost-effective way to design.  They can be used to bring a luxury, finished look to your home while not breaking the bank.

Plants and Artwork

House plants are a great touch to bring life and color into your design.  Whether they are artificial or live, remember that they’re a great accent but don’t over do it.  You want to use them to bring a freshness into this room but not make it look like a jungle.  A little goes a long way when it comes to plants.  Use different heights to give the impression that a space is taller and different breeds for dimension. When it comes to artwork, less is also more.  You want to use artwork for similar reasons as plants, to bring color and dimension to a space and to tie your furniture colors together with paint colors, etc.  But don’t fill every single wall with a painting or mirror.  That will only give your house a cluttered look and take away from what you’re trying to achieve.

Accent Tables and Chachkas

Small tables in various shapes help to finish off your design.  They give your furniture a completed look and, once again, fill spaces.  And you don’t have to spend a fortune on them.  Some of the neatest looking tables can be repurposed from an estate sale or at your local thrift store.  I love a good table refinishing project.  It gives you lots of satisfaction in a weekend project that doesn’t take too long.  And what’s a chachka?  It’s a small inexpensive item that gives you an expensive look.  A vase for example can give you the color and sparkle you need for your design and they come is many different sizes and shapes.  Another example might be a bowl or and urn or a floral center piece. 

Curtains, Pillows, and linens…oh my!

The best way to complete a window is to put some curtains up.  There are so many fabrics to choose from.  Use heavier ones in the winder and lighter weight ones in the warmer months to give your room a seasonal feel that matches the time of year.  My favorite is velvet in the winter and it’s practical, helping to keep the cold air out and insulate the windows.  And don’t forget patterns.  You don’t want to over do it with patterns on your windows but don’t be afraid of it either.  Pillows and linens also make for a great seasonal décor if used in the same way as your curtains.  Change out your pillows and your bathroom, bedroom, and kitchen linens to match your décor or even for a holiday.  Linens in general, soften a room and fill up empty spaces as well.

Littles

I call them littles.  I’m referring to items like old books, photo frames, bowls, vases, and other random finds.  There are tons of choices when it comes to littles.  You can find them at your local home décor store, and you never know what they will be.  Using things in unique ways can bring a splash of interesting to your home.  It can be things like recycled barn wood, old tile or and old wood ladder for hanging throws on.  Just use your imagination or do like I do…check out the internet for ideas.

For more design ideas or to find out how we can help stage your home, click here to learn more about the Priority Group and Sallie Elliott.

Lauritzen Gardens

Lauritzen Gardens is a living museum of unique four-season plant displays, maintained to the highest standards consistent with environmental stewardship. It provides memorable educational and aesthetic experiences for all.

Escape to an urban oasis of beauty and tranquility to experience the glory of the garden. Discover a hidden sanctuary in the heart of the city. Relax while cultivating your mind in this living plant museum, conveniently located in the beautiful riverfront hills.

Lauritzen Gardens has several educational programs and tours as well as a summer camp and you can have a birthday party of wedding there.  Become a member and get special perks.

Arboretum and Bird Sanctuary

The arboretum and Oberman Bird Sanctuary is a four-acre site with seven regional plant communities: prairie, savannah, oak hickory forest, maple linden forest, farmstead windbreak, marsh and flood plain river margin.

The word arboretum literally means “garden of trees.” In this area, they planted many different species of trees and shrubs appropriate for a Nebraska landscape. They used both native trees and shrubs as well as plants which have the ability to adapt to our harsh environment. It will take many years for this garden area to mature due to the slow growth habit of the plants. The site, however, is a relaxing place to stroll and enjoy the young trees and the beautiful vistas to be seen from this vantage point. This area along the Missouri River corridor is a natural flyway for migratory birds. There are feeders and nest boxes located throughout the sanctuary so the arboretum provides a unique area to observe the birds.

In the spring, keep your eyes and ears peeled for polliwogs, tadpoles and frogs in the marsh area!

“End of Day” Sculpture

The arboretum and bird sanctuary is the perfect setting for this bronze sculpture of sand hill cranes. Artist Dee Clements, a member of the National Sculptors’ Guild, captured the grace of these magnificent native birds. He was commissioned to design this original sculpture for Lauritzen Gardens from his studio in Loveland, Colo.

“Sunflowers, Snowbirds & Lizards” Sculpture

This round bronze sculpture near the arboretum and bird sanctuary entrance beautifully depicts snowbirds as they prepare to dine on the seeds of sunflowers. It was sculpted by Sharles for the city of Palm Desert, Calif. His deep appreciation for birds, fish and reptiles is reflected in his art.

Children's Garden

No other garden better illustrates their educational focus than the children's garden. It is the site of many of the children's activities including school tours, youth organization projects, and garden children’s programs.

Children have the opportunity to engage in hands-on gardening as well as receive a formal tour and presentation by education staff. Children are involved in the planning, planting, maintaining and harvesting of this garden area.

Adults enjoy visiting the garden as well to see bright colors, unique artwork and unusual plants not found elsewhere at Lauritzen Gardens.

“Dina”

Ronald Weise, a welder from Dunlap, Iowa, created this friendly dinosaur, “Dina,” using scrap metal and old farm equipment parts. Dina has an oil-pan head and antique hay rake tine ribs.

English Perennial Border

Opened in 2006, the English perennial border is located between the Victorian garden and Garden in the Glen. The English perennial border is a plantsman’s dream come true. More than 300 different plant species and cultivars are displayed amongst the thousands of individual sun and shade-loving perennials. They all are organized as a traditional English border would be.

English gardens are known for their masses of colorful plants and informal design style. Early English gardeners were plant enthusiasts and collectors. They enjoyed filling their gardens with as many different plants as possible.

For more information on Lauritzen Gardens click here.  For more information about the Priority Group or Sallie Elliott click here.

Wallpaper – Is it in or Out?

Well as they say with fatty foods…it’s alright in moderation. Used to accent a wall, and if it’s unique, wallpaper can be stunning. Back in the 70’s everyone wallpapered everything. I’ve even seen it on ceilings. Yikes! Then designers were very anti-wallpaper for a while and you rarely saw it used. Now the trend is to use it to add a pop of color and pattern. With some styles of wallpaper, you can use it on more than one wall but it’s rarely good to put it on all the walls in one room. Too much of it may not be esthetically pleasing to everyone and, if you decide to sell your home, you may wind up removing a lot of it because it may not be appealing to the masses.

Borders and Bold Patterns

In our Yorkshire model I used a border in the office in a brownish mauve color with antlers on it that went with the theme of the home. I ran the extra wide border along the top of the wall to create a little contrast above the wainscoting. It turned out to be the focal point of the room and gave it a little pizzaz if you ask me. In the loft of this homes, I created a large accent wall of plaid but rather than make it too bold with color, I chose a blue and grey plaid so and it softened the room while still creating an accent. Both choices were a little different yet still appealed to different tastes. Some buyers liked it and didn’t even know those designs would appeal to them.

Don’t Forget the Basement

Basements are typically not decorated like the main parts of the house in that they are often left utilitarian and plain. In our Prairie Zen model, which is overall a modern home, I decided to soften the basement by accenting the main focal wall. The brown birch trees in on a cream background in this paper added some dimension to the room and little color without overpowering the modern, simple lines of the bar area and the rest of the space, essentially breaking up the one large open space.

Boho is Back!

In our Organic Modern model, I used a muted weaved boho pattern wall paper on each side of the fireplace above the built in cabinets. It created a great pop of color without going too terribly bold and the pattern was interesting enough to contrast the rest of those rooms. As you can see, the fireplace has a tile with pattern but it’s mainly two colors, so the wallpaper didn’t conflict with it but rather complimented it and, again, bringing in some color. In the basement I added paper to a small wall with built in shelving to it’s left. It makes the wall look off centered and provides dimension to a space that might otherwise look too cramped.

Geometric and 3D Effect

Most of what we’ve seen so far has been wallpaper you’re use to seeing used in interesting ways. Geometric shapes are making a come back in furniture and, surprise, surprise, geometric shapes are coming back in wallpaper as well. Here you can see that there’s not only interest created in the shapes on this wallpaper, but it also has a metallic flare to it which gives it even more dimension and pop. Another neat new paper is the 3D effect paper which gives the illusion that you have something 3 dimensional on the wall when it’s really flat surface wallpaper. A less expensive way than using actual 3-dimensional tile for instance on a wall. What will they come up with next?